The Thai government, however, sought a cease-fire and wanted militants to hand over weapons in the restive provinces where more than 1,700 have died since separatists launched a campaign of bombings and shootings in January 2004, Bernama quoted a report as saying.

But Thai officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government does not see the exiled leaders and their separatist groups as a real security threat. They said the separatist leaders belong to previous generations whose armed wings have virtually vanished and the number of foot soldiers they have on the ground is almost minimal.

What is of concern to the government and the country's security apparatus is the new generation of militants, who are organised as small independent cells and operate from the villages they live in.

At least 90 per cent of the villages in the three southernmost pro-vinces, and three Malay-speaking districts in Songkhla, have at least one cell that has emerged some what organically over the past five years.

"These village-based militants are an entirely new generation with

 no interest in negotiation. They are behind most of the violence in the region," another officer said.

Those attending the talks over the past year were separatist leaders and members who live in Malaysia. Many have been granted Malaysian citizenship, but continue to take up the cause of the predominantly Malay-speaking region in Southern Thailand.

The Putrajaya-based Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO), which is headed by former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, brokered the talks between the two sides.

Bernama quoted PGPO executive director Mukhriz Mahathir, who was involved in the talks, as saying the content of the draft was agreed by both sides during the talks and that the Thai government has yet to respond - probably due to the political situation in the country.

"We have played our part in getting both sides to talk. The draft is ready and we have sent it to them. In fact, the separatists have agreed to the content and are ready to sign, we are just waiting for the Thai Government to give the go-ahead," he told Bernama.

Thai negotiators declined to comment publicly but one of the officers said PGPO is trying to "package" the talks in a "simple, neat and clean" manner.

"They [separatist leaders at the negotiation] have told us that they have no influence over this generation of insurgents," said one senior Thai intelligence officer. 

The whole idea behind talking to the separatist groups was centred on how to let them back to their birthplace in Thailand in the hope they could help ease tensions between the Malay-speaking community and the rest of the country, he added.

Groups like the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) said earlier this year that they have given up the demand for independence, while two years ago, a leading figure like Wan Kadir Che Man expressed his desire to return to Thailand and work towards reconciliation, the officer pointed out.

Thai political leaders, however, could not agree on Wan Kadir's request and the Malaysian government sent him into exile in Sweden.

There is growing concern in Thailand that the ongoing bickering between Mahathir and the Malaysian government could hamper progress.

Although officially, Kuala Lumpur denies any involvement, the talks would have never got off the ground if the central government had not given the nod, another officer said.

Bernama said the agreements were included in a draft of the Joint Peace and Development Plan for South Thailand, which was made following months of talks in Langkawi and Putrajaya between the separatists and Thai government representatives.

 "The separatist leaders have agreed to the plan but on the condition that all those blacklisted by the authorities would be given amnesty," he said.

Mukhriz said among those who attended the talks were leaders of Bersatu, Pulo, Barisan Revolusi Nasional, Patani Islamic Liberation Front and Muslim Mujahideen Movement of Patani.